GO mBEANNAÍ DIA daoibh my thespian friends as the curtain rises on another Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
The Bluffer recently stumbled upon an old photograph from his teenage years which made him laugh.
Bhí sé gléasta mar fhear uasal ón 17ú haois - he was dressed as a noble man from the 17th century, his long locks a la early Led Zeppelin Robert Plant fell upon a green and gold duibléid - a doublet and osáin - hose which discretely covered his nether regions.
In his hand he held a claíomh - a sword.
Now, this was not a normal evening’s attire for the Bluffer but he had a role in play that was being staged which called for him to be fetchingly festooned in the fashion of the period.
At that time, Cumann Chluain Ard in west Belfast would put on geamaireachtaí - pantomimes in which he and his peers would take part. They were huge fun but one of the many victims of the lockdown has been an drámaíocht amaitéarach - amateur dramatics or am-dram and listening to the Beo ar Éigean podcast, he was reminded yet again of the joys of going to the theatre.
(Amharclann is the Irish for a theatre building.)
The trio were unanimous (bhí siad ar aon intinn) in thinking that am-dram is a great experience. For one thing, it teaches you to multi-task.
You might be the léiritheoir - the director but you might also have to paint the set.
Maybe your bean/fear na soilse - the lights woman/man but you will be asked to work with the feisteas - costume.
There exists a whole omnium-gatherum of skilled people to bring a play to a stage, starting of course with the drámadóir - the dramatist and his or her work of creation.
You’ll need a good léiritheoir - director then to bring all the strands together starting with a bunch of dearthóirí - designers to create the world in which the world is set, including an dearthóir seite - the set-designer to the dearthóir feistis - costume designer.
Someone will be charged with the fuaim - sound whether it is minimalist like in a ghost story or the whole panoply of sound you get in a musical. They might even have a ceolfhoireann - an orchestra to contend with.
It’s the bainisteoir stáitse - stage manager who is responsible for the organisation of the backstage crews and cast during performances.
However, it is aisteoirí - actors who mostly brings theatre alive to a captive audience, whether it is panto or a one-man-show like Dan Gordon in A Night in November.
The Bluffer has been privileged to have seen some stupendous theatrical performances - in this time, but the standouts were from an outdoor version of Macbeth featuring motorbikes and aerial performers on a bitterly cold and wet night; the stunning The Conquest of Happiness; East Belfast Boy in the heart of the Newtownards Road, Melmoth the Wanderer; The Crucible at the Lyric; Owen McCafferty’s The Absence of Women and many, many more.
CÚPLA FOCAL
Bhí sé gléasta mar fhear uasal ón 17ú haois(vee shay glaysta mar ar ooisal one shakhtoo heesh jayg) - he was dressed as a noble man from the 17th century
duibléid (diblaydge) - a doublet
osáin(osaan) - hose
claíomh(cleeoo) - a sword
geamaireachtaí(gyamarakhtee) - pantomimes
an drámaíocht amaitéarach(un draemeeakht ama-chayrakh) - amateur dramatics
amharclann(aowerclaan) - a theatre
bhí siad triúr ar aon intinn(vee shade chroor er ayn inchin) - the trio were unanimous
bean/fear na soilse(banh/farh na solsha) - the lights woman/man
feisteas(feshtiss) - costume
drámadóir(draamadore) - the dramatist
dearthóirí(jarahoree) - designers
an dearthóir seite(un jarahore setche) - the set-designer dearthóir feistis(jarahore feshtish) - costume designer
fuaim(foo-im) - sound
ceolfhoireann (kyawl-irin) - an orchestra
bainisteoir stáitse(banishtore staatsha) - stage manager
aisteoirí(aashtoree) - actors
